Description
Indulge in the classic elegance of Chocolate Eclairs, featuring airy choux pastry, luscious chocolate pastry cream, and a rich chocolate glaze. Perfect for special occasions or everyday treats, these French pastries bring luxurious bakery-quality flavor right to your home kitchen.
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry:
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Chocolate Pastry Cream:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
For the Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Preparing the Choux Pastry:
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil.
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Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously until a dough ball forms.
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Cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
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Pipe 4-inch strips onto the baking sheets.
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Bake for 25–30 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Preparing the Chocolate Pastry Cream:
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Heat milk and half the sugar in a saucepan until hot.
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In a bowl, whisk remaining sugar, cocoa powder, egg yolks, and cornstarch.
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Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan and cook until thickened.
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Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and chopped chocolate.
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Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill.
Assembling the Eclairs:
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Fill a piping bag with pastry cream.
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Poke a small hole into each cooled éclair and fill with cream.
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For glaze, melt chocolate chips with butter until smooth.
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Dip tops of filled eclairs into glaze and set on a wire rack to set.
Notes
Fill with vanilla pastry cream or fruit custard for a twist.
Make mini eclairs by piping smaller strips and adjusting bake time.
Try white chocolate or caramel glaze for variations.
Add chopped nuts or sprinkles to the glaze for texture and flair.
Flavor the pastry cream with coffee extract or orange zest for a gourmet touch.
